Various analyzers are known disclosing devices for feeding objects into a waste bin. For example, an analyzer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,155 in which a waste bin is arranged in the area of a processing station beneath an aspirating head and adjacent to trays carrying pipette tips or containers filled with liquids to be analyzed. In this device, the aspirating head picks up a pipette and after use, i.e., after aspiration and distributing the liquid to be analyzed, strips the top and drops it into the waste bin.
Such constructions have worked satisfactorily in the past. Difficulties arise, however, when attempts are made to design an analyzer to be more compact--a need that arises for analyzers with scaled-down volumes. The waste bin ends up getting in the way of other components, e.g., in the way of the path of trays that feed to the aspirating head. If the stripping step and disposal bin are moved over out of the way of the trays, as in the prior art, then that moved-over location is one more station for which room has to be made in the analyzer--the very problem sought to be eliminated.
Therefore, there has been a need, prior to this invention, to find a way to overlap the waste bin of the aspirating head, and a tray path, so that space can be minimized in the analyzer, particularly those designed for reduced throughput and smaller space.